Dr Tomomi Tani, an MBL scientist in the Eugene Bell Center at the time of the research, said: “The most interesting and mysterious part of developmental biology is the origin of the body axis in animals.” The most interesting and mysterious part of developmental biology is the origin of the body axis in animals
Dr Tomomi Tani
His work with MBL colleague Dr Hirokazu Ishii confirm both parents contribute to their offspring’s body orientation.
For the sea squirt animals used in the research, input from the mother sets the back-belly axis while the father performs the same role for the head-tail axis.